


The Path to Having and Holding

by DoesEulerDreamofComplexSheep



Series: Of Gingers and Giants [3]
Category: Pitch Perfect (Movies)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, F/F, Marriage Proposal
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-10
Updated: 2020-07-23
Packaged: 2021-03-04 21:55:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,064
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25153555
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DoesEulerDreamofComplexSheep/pseuds/DoesEulerDreamofComplexSheep
Summary: Emily Junk and Chloe Beale want to start the rest of their lives together, but can they do it without tearing apart the people they love the most?
Relationships: Aubrey Posen/Jesse Swanson, Beca Mitchell/OC, Chloe Beale/Beca Mitchell, Chloe Beale/Emily Junk
Series: Of Gingers and Giants [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1822036
Comments: 12
Kudos: 14





	1. June

Emily's eyes blinked awake as a soft, keening whine wormed its way into her consciousness. She turned her head slightly, spotting a glistening, black nose a few inches away from her face through the tangled strands of hair piled around her. A quick snuffling ensued, the nose twitching as its owner inhaled the innumerable scents that defined his world, most of which Emily wasn't even aware existed, before snorting out a puff of breath that hit her full in the face, making her blink rapidly. 

"Yoru," she chastised quietly, glaring at her Shiba Inu, "rude."

The dog looked at her, cueing on her tone of voice even though he didn't recognize the words she said. He dropped his chin onto the bed before her, looking suitably cowed, and Emily rolled her eyes with a soft giggle.

"Uhuh, always the victim, aren't you little man?"

Yoru perked up to attention at her familiar nickname and leapt off of the bed, practically making it through the door way before his paws landed, skitting away down the hall, not waiting for Emily. She sat up and stretched, her muscles pulling tight and trying to ready themselves from their hours of sleep. The rustling of sheets caught Emily's attention and she looked down to see Chloe, still peacefully asleep, shifting slightly as Emily's heat had disappeared. She carefully leaned over and left one soft kiss on the redhead's shoulder, humming contentedly against the warm skin.

With a sigh she stood up and quickly threw on some sweat pants and a fleece, not bothering with underwear or a bra since she planned to come right back as soon as possible. She followed where Yoru had disappeared to. As she rounded the corner she smiled, Yoru was sitting by the door, having pulled his lead down from its hook and left it in front of him. Emily rolled her eyes at his antics, looking over to see their Corgi Rosie asleep on her bed. She had rolled onto her back and Emily could hear tiny snores escaping from where her face was buried under a blanket. Emily padded over to where Yoru was sitting, the hardwood floor chilly under her feet. She squatted down and hooked Yoru's lead to his collar, not bothering to get his harness. She had every intention of letting him do his business and coming right back up. She slipped her feet into a pair of sandals from the shoe mat next to the door, tapped her pockets to make sure she had her keys and her phone, then unlocked the door and led Yoru out. 

The ride down the elevator was uneventful and Yoru did his business quickly. Emily pulled a baggie out of her pocket and cleaned up his mess, depositing it in a waste bin as they made their way back upstairs. Once they made it back inside she dropped her sandals back on the mud tray and unclipped Yoru, ruffling the hair between his ears as he panted happily at her. Emily glanced at the clock and decided to pull a pair of bones out of the freezer, dropping one in Yoru's dish and one in Rosie's. Yoru picked the marrow bone up and gleefully trotted to his favorite corner of the kitchen, settling down onto the stone tile as he hungrily worried about his treat. Emily knew he wouldn't steal Rosie's; he'd learned quickly that she was quite territorial of her bowl and he was smart enough to keep the peace.

With a last fond smile to Yoru Emily silently made her way back to the bedroom, closing the door behind her with a defined click. She looked at the bed and stared. Chloe had turned in her sleep, kicking one leg out from under the blanket. Emily's eyes rested on Chloe's feet and wandered appreciatively up the redhead's toned leg, to the swell of her bare backside and up the graceful sweeping lines of her back. She hummed hungrily, skinnying out of her sweatpants and tossing her pullover beside the pile of cotton, then slid under the covers as quietly as she could, snuggling into the soft heat of Chloe's body. The shorter woman whined as Emily ran her hand up her sides and Emily pinched her eyes shut, annoyed with herself, as she realized her mistake.

"Baby, your hands are like _ice_."

Emily pulled her hands back even as Chloe rolled over to face her, tresses of wavy hair the color of copper framing her gorgeous features. Chloe reached out and pulled Emily back into her space, making it clear that she wasn't particularly bothered by the cold in spite of her complaint. Emily gladly accepted the contact, and leaned in to capture Chloe's lips with her own. Chloe pulled her neck back and shook her head.

"No, sweetie, my breath is horrible."

"I don't care." 

Chloe relented and met Emily in a gentle kiss that quickly turned messy and heated. Emily squeezed Chloe's side affectionately before letting her hand venture south, her fingertips lazily tracing the intoxicating curves of Chloe's back until they reached the dip of her ass. She let her nails gently catch the bare skin as she cupped Chloe's rear, massaging the firm flesh. Chloe broke their kiss with a gasp.

"Someone's a little frisky this morning." she said with a chuckle. Emily simply nodded, tracing kisses down the side of Chloe's neck.

"You came, like, five times last night, how are you even awake right now?"

Emily leaned back, her mouth open in feigned offense.

"Excuse me, I had _three_ orgasms last night, not six. I would have thought you'd remember, being there and all."

"Baby, it was all I could do to remember your name last night. I wasn't exactly counting." Emily giggled, and shook her head.

"I mean, technically toward the end you just called me God and said 'oh fuck' a bunch." Chloe rolled her eyes and groaned at the jest.

"I guess getting engaged to the most beautiful woman alive just makes me horny." Emily said after a few moments of silence, a mischievous smile on her face.

Chloe slapped her lightly on the shoulder and Emily flopped fully onto her back in fresh peels of laughter. Chloe grinned, holding her hand up to look at her engagement ring again. The beautiful diamond, flanked by a pair of smaller but immaculately cut sapphires, sparkled in the morning sun. 

"You're the worst Emily."

Emily pushed herself back onto her side, brushing her fingers over the small scar on Chloe's forehead, her hand traveling on to sweep a lock of fiery hair behind Chloe's ear.

"You love me." Emily said, planting an easy kiss on Chloe's lips. "Are you really complaining?" she asked, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively, the challenge clear. Chloe watched Emily, a small smile growing on her lips.

"About my beautiful fiance wanting me?" she whispered, sliding her leg over Emily's hip and pushing her down onto the bed. "Not at all."

* * *

Chloe pulled open the chiller drawer in the bottom of their refrigerator, scrutinizing the grapefruits she found until she made up her mind. She picked one up and brought it to her nose. Satisfied, she nudged the drawer shut with her toe before closing the door.

"Ooh, are you making juice?" Emily asked, excited. Chloe nodded.

She was perched on a stool by the kitchen island reading one of her student's assignments, once again dressed in her sweatpants and fleece pullover. Chloe nodded, deftly slicing the grapefruit in half with the chef knife she had laid on the counter.

"After last night and this morning I figure we could use a good breakfast."

Emily giggled, her face buried in an essay analyzing the influence of early blues on modern pop music. Chloe rinsed and dried the blade as soon as she was finished to avoid damage to the carbon steel. The metal was temperamental about both the acidity of the citrus fruit and any leftover moisture, but Chloe didn't mind the maintenance, and many years living with Beca - a notoriously snobby cook - had ruined Chloe's previous life of the idiot-proof stainless steel. She began juicing the fruit, her eyes returning to her fiance as she worked.

"Em, honey. We need to talk."

"Yeah? About what sweetie?" Emily answered without looking up.

Chloe cleared her throat, catching the other woman's attention, and Emily met her eyes.

"Don't play dumb Em, you know about what."

Emily sighed and let her face fall into her hands.

"Can't I just pretend I don't, and then we can forget that we had this conversation, and live happily ever after?" she said, her voice muffled as she spoke through her fingers.

Chloe smiled, and shook her head.

"Getting to the happily ever after part is kind of the problem."

Emily looked up, nodding glumly.

"Yeah."

"You know that I'm going to ask Bree to be my matron of honor."

Emily pinched her eyes shut, but continued nodding, her face set in a grimace.

"And I know that you're going to ask Beca to be your maid."

Emily's eyes opened, falling on Chloe who was wearing a sympathetic smile. She walked over to the island and leaned down to kiss Emily on the cheek as she placed a tall glass of grapefruit juice in front of her before sitting in the chair on Emily's right. She was dressed only in one of Emily's sweaters, which was plenty long enough to preserve her modesty, but she started slightly as the cold wood contacted her bare leg and rump.

"And" Emily stretched the word out in a drawl, as if she could escape the ending of her own sentence, "if either of them kills the other at our wedding the investigation will put a serious damper on our honeymoon."

Chloe's lips parted into a smile as she chuckled at Emily's joke.

"That's about the size of it." Emily looked at Chloe, hypnotized by the color of her eyes like always.

"I love you so much." She said, and Chloe leaned in, pressing her lips against Emily's in a chaste kiss, knowing it was all the answer the younger woman wanted.


	2. July With Aubrey

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chloe makes an important request of Aubrey, and has to deal with a confrontation that she expected to face.

Chloe scooped her phone up from where she had set it on the counter, the screen still lit from an incoming message. She didn't bother unlocking the phone to read it; Aubrey's name and the first few words of the preview let her know that her friend was waiting downstairs with their Uber. Chloe checked the mirror one final time and, satisfied, whisked toward the door. Rosie and Yoru trailed at her heels, looking up expectantly. She eyed them both and shot a slightly guilty smile.

"Sorry guys, you're not coming with me tonight, but mama will be home before long."

Chloe craned her neck to look at the clock on the face of the microwave and decided that Emily would be back soon enough that leaving a treat wouldn't make much sense. She crouched down and rubbed the fur around each of their ears in turn, leaving a kiss on each of their heads. Rosie sat on her rear and regarded Chloe with her usual cocked head and a grumpy whine. Yoru let out a short sneeze, shaking his head almost as if he had surprised himself.

"Lovely Yoru, thanks for the goodbye present." she said without any real anger, wiping her face as Yoru sniffed at her fingers curiously.

She rose and snatched her purse from the coat rack and exited the door, walking out of the apartment building two minutes later. She nodded politely to the kindly woman who lived down the hall from her and Emily as they passed just outside and aimed for the curb. The sun had fallen below the skyline a little more than an hour ago and most of the day's heat had given way to the night, leaving Chloe comfortable in her light three-quarter sleeve blouse and pants as she strode to the lone black sedan idling in front of her. The figure in the back seat was sitting on the far side and Chloe couldn't make out much in the way of details, but the long blond hair that fell past the occupant's shoulders told her that it was almost certainly Aubrey. She reached down to tug the handle and settled herself into the free half of the bench beside her oldest friend.

"Is this seat taken?" Chloe asked, giving a playful wink to the other woman.

Aubrey rolled her eyes and told the driver they were ready to leave.

"It's good to see you Chloe, I've missed you."

"I know, right? It's like, we live in the city, but I still never get to see you! What is that? I feel bad."

Aubrey waved her hand at Chloe, dismissing the idea that the redhead was somehow at fault.

"There's nothing to be sorry about, we're both crazy busy. That's adulting Chloe." breathed the blonde, giving a rigid shrug of her shoulders. Same old Aubrey.

What's Jesse up to tonight?" Aubrey visibly stiffened at the mention of her husband's name.

"I'm not sure." Aubrey admitted, her voice sounding small. "We had been having some problems and he decided to stay at Benji's place for a little while and hes been there for the past four weeks."

Chloe felt a stab of guilt hit her stomach. Aubrey and Jesse had gotten together after college, the two former rivals quickly falling into a comfortable relationship and had gotten married just shy of two years ago, about two months before the Beca and Chloe had ended their relationship and all the madness that had followed. Chloe felt horrible that she hadn't known that the couple were struggling, and that she had brought up the topic.

"I'm sorry Bree, what happened?"

Aubrey sniffed lightly, shaking her head.

"I don't really want to talk about to tonight, Chloe, I'm sorry." Chloe nodded in understanding.

* * *

The car slid through traffic, the ruined Brooklyn roads sending shocks through them despite the suspension's best efforts as they made their way toward the Manhattan Bridge.

"Where is this place again?"

Aubrey was inspecting her makeup in a compact, trying to make sure no unseen tears had threatened anything, and didn't answer for a long moment.

"It's a little north of Tribeca over on the west side."

"Have you been here before?" Aubrey put away her compact and turned her attention back to Chloe.

"Uh, no, I haven't. Stacie said it's great though." Chloe nodded and let out a small sigh, smiling at the easy way she and Aubrey could always fall back into easy conversation. Aubrey returned the smile as she smoothed out the lines of her skirt. They kept on, chatting about their jobs until they arrived at the bar. Aubrey thanked their driver and they made their way inside. It was still a little on the early side of the evening and they found a table quickly, putting in an order for the first round of drinks and settling comfortably at their table.

"You look great Bree." Chloe commented, meaning it. Aubrey barked out a short laugh.

"Hardly, but it's sweet of you to say so."

Chloe shook her head with a sad chuckle, wondering if Aubrey would ever learn to take a compliment for what it was instead of letting the spectre of her father whisper doubt over her shoulder.

"So how have you been? How's Emily?"

"She's great," Chloe said, happy that Aubrey had steered the conversation where Chloe wanted.

"She was sad she couldn't come tonight, but she had a bunch of work at the school." 

Aubrey nodded, still smiling. It wasn't a lie in the strictest sense, Chloe thought. Emily did, indeed, have work she was doing tonight, although it had been orchestrated that way so that Chloe had a chance to talk to Aubrey alone. She brushed her hand over her left ear absentmindedly, policing a few strands of hair that had fallen out of place and were tickling her cheek.

"Oh my God! What is that!" Aubrey cried, her eyes clearly having spotted the diamond. Chloe glanced at her hand, still not used to the ring and colored slightly. Aubrey spotting the band certainly gave Chloe the perfect opportunity to ask Aubrey about being her matron of honor, but she still felt foolish. She giggled nervously.

"Umm, it's my engagement ring." Chloe answered slowly, as if testing the how the words felt on her tongue.

Emily proposed to me last week." Chloe said simply, fanning her hand out so Aubrey could get a closer look. The blonde's jaw dropped and for a moment the ring was forgotten.

"You got engaged _last week_ and didn't tell me?" Aubrey was playing it as a joke, but Chloe could hear the edge in the other woman's voice and she knew the joke only went so far.

"Well I wanted to tell you in person Bree, not over Skype."

Aubrey watched her and Chloe was reminded that you never just talked to Aubrey, you were always studied, as if the blonde was looking for a chink in everyone's armor. Her expression softened and a genuine smile crept back into the corners of her cheeks.

"That's wonderful Chloe. I'm so happy for the two of you!"

Chloe beamed as Aubrey stooped to inspect the ring, gushing about how gorgeous it was as Chloe had expected. Their drinks came and they both sipped them gladly.

"So how'd she do it?" Aubrey said with a conspiratorial hush, leaning forward slightly. 

"Oh Bree, it was super romantic! Emily chartered this little sailing yacht to take us out on a sunset cruise around Long Island. We saw the cutest dolphin chasing us while we sailed!" Chloe gestured excitedly as she recalled the night.

"So then we stopped near one of the state parks and rowed the little dinghy to this super quiet beach, where we ate dinner next to a fire right on the beach. She even sang to me while we watched the moon come up Bree! Then when we started to pack up she told me she had almost forgotten something, and she got down on her knees right on the beach and proposed!"

Aubrey couldn't contain her wide smile, or the single tear that crept out of her eye, and Chloe could tell that her friend was genuinely happy for her.

"So," Chloe began, "I can't lie - that's sort of why I wanted to see you tonight."

Aubrey choked out a laugh and shook her head.

"I might have known you'd have a secret agenda!" balked the blonde.

"Oh stop, you know I missed you, but - well, the thing is I want you to be my matron of honor."

Aubrey sat up straight, and her hand shot to her chest. Chloe had figured that Aubrey would know that she would be asked to be a bride's maid, but it wasn't too long ago that Chloe wasn't returning Aubrey's calls. Aubrey looked relieved and awestruck.

"Of course I will!" Aubrey said, now truly tearing up. 

Her makeup was just starting to run, and Chloe felt bad as she realized that her friend wouldn't have had any reason to think she would need waterproof mascara.

"Well-" Chloe paused, swallowing uncomfortably. She knew she needed to rip the band-aid off but couldn't quite figure out how to say the words.

"What's wrong Chlo?" Aubrey asked, and the redhead realized her apprehension must have been really obvious. She sighed, took a big pull from her drink, grateful for the moisture on her throat and even as she wished she was a few drinks in.

"Beca's going to be Emily's maid of honor Aubrey. Now I know you two haven't always see-"

"You can't be serious Chloe! You can't!" Chloe closed her eyes for a moment and weathered the explosive interruption as Aubrey sputtered.

"We're completely serious Bree, she's Em's best friend."

Aubrey let out a cruel laugh and it bounced off the furniture, rising above the din of the bar and a few nearby tables glanced in their direction.

"Sure she is." Aubrey seethed. "Chloe, how can you be so blind? Beca's just going to engineer a way to screw stuff up for you again!"

Chloe shook her head. She had known this was going to be the conversation, but she had hoped, foolishly, that Aubrey would want to support her more than she wanted to dig up old animosities.

"Bree, you're being ridiculous. No one is trying to screw anything up, Emily wants Beca to be there so she has someone who has always been in her corner, and that's the same reason I want you. Is that so unfair?" Chloe leaned forward as she shot Aubrey a pleading look only for the blonde to scoff.

"Beca has only ever cared about Beca. She doesn't care about Emily any more than she cared about you. She used you for what she wanted then threw you out when she was bored."

Chloe recoiled. She had heard it all before, but it had been so long and it still stung hearing the sheer venom in Aubrey's voice.

"That's totally unfair Bree." Chloe said, shaking her head with a sigh.

"Beca and I didn't work out because we wanted very different things. I wanted a family, and Beca couldn't see that kind of future for her, so she told me the truth, and decided she'd rather let me go than trying to force it until all we had left was bitterness and resentment."

"If she really loved you she would have-"

"Would have what Aubrey?" Chloe said, her exasperation getting the better of her. She pressed on.

"She couldn't change what she wanted."

"She could have tried!" Chloe shook her head sadly at Aubrey's outburst, wondering if she'd ever understand where all of her friend's blinding anger really came from.

"You can't try to change something like that Bree. Beca and I loved each other, but sometimes that just isn't enough, and that was the end of the story we had together. If I had known what she knew I would have done the same thing."

Aubrey rolled her eyes, taking a sip of her drink as her face twisted bitterly.

"No." she said bluntly, shaking her head with conviction. "You wouldn't have just run away and hid like her. You wouldn't do that."

As Chloe let Aubrey's words seep in she felt something inside her strain to the breaking point. A heat flared from deep in her gut, bubbling up into her chest like tar rising from a shale field. She slammed her hand on the table, the impact sending a spoon flying and rattling the drinks strongly enough to send liquid splashing onto the black lacquered wood.

"Cut the crap Aubrey!" Chloe exploded, Aubrey's expression dumbstruck at the sudden outburst and the naked anger in Chloe's voice.

Chloe ground her teeth, a thousand scenes flashing in her mind all at once. All the times that Aubrey had lashed out at Chloe to hide her own insecurities. All the times she drowned out Chloe's voice so hers was all that was heard. Her endless antagonization of Beca, and the brutal drama she had instigated within the Bellas after that relationship had ended. Chloe felt like her anger filled the room. It wasn't just inside her, it billowed up like a cloud of smoke, choking her.

"Our entire friendship I've sat quietly while you've bowled over me. Ignored me. How you kept pushing me away from Beca, and tried to poison all the Bellas against her when we broke up. God, Aubrey, you tried to drive a wedge between all the girls - all because you never liked her! Well, enough! I've had it, and I'll be damned if I sit here while you tell me what I would and wouldn't have done in my own life."

Aubrey had withered in her seat, her mouth hanging open slightly in shock. Chloe let out a long sigh and relaxed slightly, pulling her composure together despite her frustration.

"Beca is still an amazing friend, Aubrey, and I love her just as much as I love you. If **you** really love me, I need you to grow up and for once respect me. Emily's going to ask Beca to be there for her. We aren't asking you to be friends with her, just that you respect her enough to share this moment with Emily and me." Chloe paused, giving time for her words to be absorbed.

"I want you standing next to me Bree, and I hope you can, because it will be really lonely up there without you. But I won't keep listening to-" Chloe's quiet voice trailed off as she gestured at the space between them, "this."

Chloe fished in her purse and set a pair of twenties on the table. Aubrey's eyes were cast down toward the table, but Chloe had the feeling that Aubrey's thoughts were anywhere but in the room they were standing in. She smoothed the bills against the table and stood up, hesitating for just a moment before she turned to leave. She took one step around the table, toward the silent blonde, and gave her arm a gentle squeeze.

"I love you Bree."

Without saying anything more Chloe walked out of the bar, finding her phone in her back pocket and arranging a rideshare. The night felt colder after stepping out from the heat of the building, although Chloe wasn't sure if it was the weather or just the change from being inside.

The ride across town felt longer in the quiet that roared around her without Bree, and by the time her feet landed on the familiar curb outside her building she was exhausted from letting her thoughts run wild. She crossed the lobby, aiming for the stairs even though the lift had just been fixed on Tuesday. She didn't need to stand still with nothing but her own head to keep her company for one more minute, and at least the sound of her feet landing on the stair treads and the burn in her legs distracted her.

She reached the landing for their floor and walked to the door, smiling as she heard the storm of clicking that heralded Yoru and Rosie once they had heard her key slide into the lock, no doubt waiting to swarm her on the other side of the door. She swung open the black painted wood and found eight legs worth of welcoming committee squirming and wagging. She waded through them, careful to get the door closed behind her, and she made her greetings, petting the dogs - Rosie first this time, then Yoru. Chloe saw movement and looked up to see Emily appear from the hall to their bedroom, beautiful hair the color of oiled wood pulled up into a quick bun and wearing a set of comfortable sleep wear that looked achingly good to her. She stood up just in time for Emily's arm to thread its way around her waist, and Chloe melted into her fiance's body as the taller woman caught her lips.

"That good, huh?" Emily asked after Chloe pulled back slightly, looking up into the brunette's eyes.

Chloe let her forehead rest against Emily's collarbone, the warmth of her skin and the sound of her voice a balm for the stress of the evening.

"Nothing I didn't expect I guess. I kind of blew up at her, actually."

Emily raised an eyebrow as she took in Chloe's soft sigh. The redhead let her purse slip off of her shoulder and rest on the floor rather than hang it up where it went, but Emily didn't say anything, just taking Chloe's hand and tugging her softly toward the couch. Chloe comfortably settled between Emily's legs, gladly accepting the younger woman's hug. Rosie leapt up to join them, her short legs always making for a comically dramatic scene, and she circled a few times before curling up half on Chloe's feet while Yoru made himself comfortable on the floor. The bigger dog looked happy to be with the group but content to watch everyone on the sofa from beneath tented eyebrows as his chin lay flat on the floor. 

"Aubrey reacted about how I had figured, which I was fine with." Chloe started, and Emily listened patiently.

"But then she got snippy when I said that I would have made the same choice as Beca if I had been in her position, and Bree told me I was wrong and I just-" Emily waited as Chloe struggled to find the right words.

"I just remembered all the times that Aubrey had ignored me, or belittled my ideas, and I was so angry Em. I just want her to listen for once. So I snapped and told her how I felt."

Emily nodded empathetically, brushing the pad of her thumb along Chloe's cheek as a single tear escaped.

"Did she say anything?" Emily asked, not really sure what she meant by it.

"No," answered the redhead. "she kind of looked like she was realizing all of if for the first time." 

Emily stretched her neck lower, kissing gently at Chloe's temple, earning a teary, real smile.

"I think she just needs to think about it, but she cares about you Chloe. I think she'll come around now that you've told her what it means to you." Chloe nodded, leaning back into Emily, wishing she could just enjoy that moment forever. After a few minutes of peace she sighed, miserable to move, but too uncomfortable to stay. 

"Baby, I need to get up. As happy as I am to stay in your arms, these jeans are made to make my ass look great, not for comfy snuggling duties." Emily giggled and opened her arms, canting her hips to the side to give Chloe an easier path to sit up. Chloe squeaked as a playful swat landed on her butt as she stood and she glared unconvincingly at Emily who blushed but still managed a grin.

"It's not my fault you're right about those pants." Chloe just rolled her eyes and headed toward the bedroom to change, silently grateful for how Emily always managed to give her something to be happy for on even the worst days.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for the delay, my family has been facing a medical emergency and writing wasn't my highest priority for a while. We finally get a glimpse of why the Bellas are in the state that they are in.


End file.
